The US Navy has announced on Friday that they are formally reactivating the 2nd Fleet, which is the Atlantic Ocean fleet for the US, and had been deactivated in 2011. The fleet will be based in Norfolk, Virginia.
Officials had spoken of plans to make such a move before, and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said that the move reflects the need for the US to maintain “a large-scale ocean maneuver warfare” unit in the Atlantic.
Other officials said that there are growing numbers of Russian submarines in the Atlantic, and that the US feels challenged by both Russia and China. The new fleet is intended primarily to confront Russia.
Despite talking up growing Russian submarine activity, the reality is that Russia has announced plans to decrease its military funding over the next few years, which presumably will mean fewer extraneous naval excursions into the Western Hemisphere.
This is old news.
May 4, 2018 – The US Navy is reactivating Second Fleet to oversee the North Atlantic Ocean and the East Coast.
So why not have an Atlantic Fleet for national security? It’s better than the current stupid deployment of ships to the Black Sea and the South China sea.
Why not have the entire US military deployed to actually defend the country instead of making trouble everywhere?
Yes, for starters the US doesn’t need a half-million person ground force for national security. Canada and Mexico are quite benign in that regard.
Never trust the Canadians.
Beneath that ‘Nice and Friendly’ exterior lurk ‘Nice and Friendly’ people.
They are trying to undermine the USA hegemony.
I’m not aware anybody is planning on invading us.
So the US military should invade other nations for something to do?
Why doesn’t every country who can, have an Atlantic Fleet for their security?
Boy. That’s an inconvenient truth. The Russians decrease their military spending. Instead of following suit, the DC jerks increase US military spending massively. Putin stated it was a better idea to use the money to raise the standard of living of the Russian people. This is one of the reasons the American political class hates Putin so much. He shows what cretins they are and how little they care about the American people.
I’m surprisingly fine with this. A strong Navy in itself really isn’t a threat to liberty (other than missiles and coastal bombardment). And I insist on differentiating between intervening in the affairs of other nations and protecting shipping in international waters, from pirates, for instance. If they focused only on that, their motto would actually be true: A global force for good.
Of course, that will never happen, the MIC will continue its concentration of wealth through blood and the misuse of the American military.
Our leaders benefit monetarilty from the unnecessary spending. Burn that Aramco refined fuel, break down that “old” equipment, war game those projectiles.. $$$ cha-ching $$$
That unnecessary spending results in trillion dollar annual deficits which must be financed domestically since foreign purchase of Treasury certificates is decreasing, augmented by foreign moves away from the dollar due to sanctioning. That increased burden on the domestic financing of the budget will raise interest rates and stifle investment in projects that are actually essential, as opposed to naval exercises in the South China Sea and war in Afghanistan, for two examples.
What are you complaining about? Fill out your selections every 2-4 years and feed it into the ESS machine along with all other citizens. Support the Troops™ and God Bless America®
If Russia is the threat why aren’t we building icebreakers? Surface ships in the open water are sitting ducks, imho. Norfolk needs a lot of work. Pirates can be mitigated with armed UAVs and sat phones. Rick Perry will be happy as the fleet runs on easy oil.
This is the USN’s cover story to make them look good for a serious mistake.
This fleet was a major part of the Navy’s training and readiness. It was abandoned. Training and readiness fell apart, and our ships started to run into things and otherwise fail in basic seamanship and training. So now they’ve undone the mistake, by putting the training fleet back where it should be.
It is not to confront the Russians. It never was. It was and is a training system. It is where ships work up near home, before they deploy to a long way away.
Ever since NATO destroyed Yugoslavia and humiliated both China and Russia in ways they can’t forget . Both China and Russia have been together for self preservation . We can’t blame them for that , they don’t intend to be dismembered like Yugoslavia was . Russia has cut their military spending by about 20 % . Why not ? They already have enough fire power to kill over 1/2 the people in the United States on the 1st day of a nuclear war . And Russia is fairly certain this fire power will make it through any defense that the United States might put up . So military spending looks to be foolishness to Russia .
This is public works project. Also realization that US is falling behind (read, Russian Poseidon submarine drones). It is unclear how many of these are already cruising in depths we cannot monitor. The bottom line i beefing up Norfolk base is to adress defense of coastal areas, whose entire infrastructure is vulnerable to Poseidon. As Russian announcement of March 1 srated, the sub drone has no known vulnerability. We sldo have no clue what is Chinese participation in production. Russia and China stated few years ago that in military cooperation they are seeking to avoid DUPLICATION. Which means literally, either division of work on same ssspon class, or specializing in one or the other — assuming shared use. When it comes to relatively small dimensions of nuclear done subs, different components can be produced in various factofies, among other ship building manufacturing in China. All the components — according to their own statements can be dhipped via standard suze containers, by ships, train or trucks.
Given the lethality of the drone cruise missile capability, and the fact that it can remain under watter indefinitelly — it stands to reason that both East and West coasts need to be defended, with priority on East Coast.
Here is the problem in the nutshell. We can assume one of the two postures. One, the weapon does not exist, and not likely to exist in the long term. Russia is in this alone, and has no industrial capacity for such mass production. Two, weapon exists, Russia is not being open about its operational use, locations or quantity. In between the two, lies the answer. Prepare for the highest vulnerability, coastal areas and infrastructure along East Coast. In the worst case scenario — the entire Western fleet under and above the water can be destroyed within minutes. After that — if West decides that it can unleash air assets and jnflict damage on Russia and China — while being confident in its own ballistic misile defence — then the doom will be certain. Russia has better air defence systems by all metrics. Who will blink?
It is naive to assume that the advanced seaponry Russia announced March 1 has no consequences.
While it is a good jobs gererator for Virginia, it is also a response to understanding just how much potential danger we are in. Being for decades focused on offensive, nation trouncing military activities, on counter insurgency and regional conflict manipulation — we have neglected REAL defence, considering it unnecessary in the light of our military supremacy. We still talk about how much money se spend, as opposed to our defence strategy. So, blaming Russia for thinking through how to defend itself, as well as take the battle to the enemy – has become the only response so far. More logical response would be to engage in arms control negotiations to address ghe issues of real security needs of both countries. But that smells of conceding equality with the inferiors — and that would never do. At some point empty threats can bring about miscalculation, as threatening Russia does nothing to its drive to modernize and technologically advance their weapons, and push them to early operations. It does also nothing to the hubris of our lazy, clownish elites — including here our Congress — to stop the gravy train of wastefull imperial expansion related military spending. And make them save the money for REAL defence policy. We made so many enemies, while dreaming of our invulnerability.
Then lets blamr Trump for suggesting talks with Russia, cutting back on “defence” or waste of money fhrown at allies that need to be bought to love us. And redirecting it to boosting our real defense. While we must talk — it would be foolish not to catch up in defense and technologies we are currently behind in. Status quo — vs change. Always a difficult undertaking. Machiavelli himself described the problem aptly. “When attempting to implemenr change, one will get all the animosity of thise who stand to lose, while only a luke warm support from those who stand to gain.”
I worked as an engineer in the defense industry for years. Back in the 1980s, the emphasis was always on cutting edge technology – phased-array radars, hypersonic missiles, death-ray machines. After 9-11, we dropped the Buck Rogers stuff and concentrated on fighting uneducated Muslim terrorists. This pleased Israel immensely, Our military started “playing” against AA Farm League teams. You would think that every little war would be a shutout for our military, but actually they have played down to the level of the competition; Afghanistan is ours to lose, which is the way we are going. We have a lot of Rambos, but nothing else.
Now, we think that Russia and China can be handled by the same team that has had trouble with Iraq. I know one thing about Russian military hardware (I’ve had in my own hands) – it isn’t junk – it works and it holds up. and if we think we mess with them like we can a place like Libya; I’d remember the old cowboy story of not betting the stranger who tells you that he can make the ace of spades jump out of deck of cards in his hand and have it spit sauerkraut juice in your ear – because the minute you bet him – you are going to get an ear full of sauerkraut juice.
Exactly the path to ruin. 9/11 was a gift to Israel, the gift that keeps on giving. Even Buck Rogers era was flawed. It did focus in science — a plus, but it had no clear strategy of our national priorities. It was never clear exactly what we must protect, and how to do it. It was more of a post WWII exuberance, period of fast growth, rapid rise of middle class, and the feeling of not being sble to do nothing wrong. This was the seed of imperial fhinking, that just needed a little neocon nurturing to grow into full scale global reach. And as there was ni serious pushback, it was interpreted as a sign that no brakes were needed — full speed ahead. By contrast, Russia lost over 25 million people, war ravaged its territory, and only science allowed its military to keep others from its shores. Thus, as we overconfidently went into wars over mountains, deserts, and caves, while simultaneously refusing to seriously entertain collaboration or even arms control with Russia — I have to only wonder who on earth thought it was a good idea. Perhaps it was overconfidence plsin and simple. But we need to take into consideration the feelings of others — namely Russia. If Russia consjders it its priority to prevent any wars to be fought again ln its territory, this mean they knoe what matters to them. This clarifies the position of all US assets with short range cruise missile capability to reach their territory. That is their priority. Secondary, they will focus on advantages that will allow them to bring the fight to our territory. Knowing how we are hard of hearing — the announcement if March 1 included phrase “now you will listen to us”. Still, very little understanding on the part of neocons that love the gravy train current fight against assorted Arab/Moslem/Middle Eastern foes keeps generating.
It is clear that at least some of our establishment is aware that things are not rosy, and they may be behind Trump’s push to settle some conflicts, exit some, and to signal to Europe to put up or shut up. The incondistency has not been list on Trump. As they all scream of dangers from Russia, they have no problem building new pipelines. Then which one is it? Also, most punditry is laughing at Space Force, and Congress will not allow money to be eaked out of Defence budget yo fund it. What fo these people think, that clowns like Elon Musk will deliver the science? While Russia and China have already applied nano technology (Russian new MIRV at 20 Mach, semi plasma state and controllable), and Chinese quantum physics based salelites. We cannot ever reproduce very old Russian heavy rocket engine R-180, and still must buy them to launch military satelites.
I am sure there are wise people somewhere in the military looking at this and giving it a serious thought. The question is — how to persuade Congress to stop blocking new initiatives. Trump is getting a lots of flack for what really must be done.
We know China can shoot down satellites And Russia sells us rocket engines for taking us into orbit . Just imagine our satellites knocked down and nuclear bombs coming from outer space . Trump was right to think of a special space force . But the NWO government we have won’t even let him build a wall . To stop our country from being conquered through immigration . But the USA has the most aircraft carriers . So we have the biggest military by far , you can tell by how much we spend . Do you think The special defense line France had during the second W War would have stopped the Germans If only the French had spent a lot more building them . Russia and China are preparing for a future war while the United States is very well prepared for a repeat of the last war and of course policing the losers .
Trump is right on many levels. But the forces against him sre formidable. He is right to form Space Force. On many levels. US is behind in several critical technologies, and must catch up. I am not for arms race snd militarism — but the reality is if US and its Western allies wat to maintain the posture of threats using any made up excuse possible — then we better be prepared fir consequences. All Trump is trying to do is a/try to close technological gap, b/ talk to Russia and c/ save money by closing out some foreign adventures (like Syria), getiting some locals to sort it out (like Koreas) and getting some allies off our backs and decide what is it they want (Europe). We need money to move into technologies we are lagging behind. And he wants to do it while coming to some terms with Russia, while not tackling sacred cows of space privatization — like Elon Musk — who is spending more time sorting out Tesla problems, ghen worrying about producing heavy duty rocket engine. The ofher day Russia outed Musk, who is trying to be provider of satelite launching services by undercuting others by pricing low. He is doing it because he charges US military three times his “market” price.
But Trump cannot do what is needed — agree with Russia on a treaty that bans weapons in space. For as long as we are refusing to even talk about it — Russia can march ahead with deployment of already announced weapons.
Speaking of aircraf carriers— they are floating targets, aling with destroyers, cruisers, submarines. So much attention is paid to space, hypersonic weapons, and missiles, that something very fundamental remains below radar. When submarine drone (Poseidon) was announced, very few paid attention that the weapon has NO vulnerability. While it does not have the payload of submarine, it can be mass produced, stay under water to extreme depths, stay indefinitely, and is faster then anything today on or below water. Submarines are easy targets. In addition, drones can resurface anywhere along the coast, targeting coastal infrastructure, from ports, bases, power plants, bridges, roads, etc. I expect Russia is demanding withdrawal of our assets sith cruise missile capacity to reach Russian territory. This drone is clearly specifically designed to force some distance from Russia’s borders. The more we rely on sea, the more vulnerable we are. Our coasts are no longer safe, hence Trump’s proposal to resurect Atlantic fleet.
The poroblem is, globalist muddled minds care only about getting Trump. And they believe too much in their own propaganda, taking solace in the fact that Russia did not give dates for deployment of some new weapons. In fact, I believe that Russia is deliberately playing up hypersonic capability, pushing up deployment dates, and having some (Kinzhal) already deployed — incidentally, close to Iran and Syria theatres. But I suspect populating seas with Poseidon is the priority. Buchanan said that should democrats win the House, they will push for imprachment, and find out hard way that half of the nation will be against it. With politics taking center stage, who will be left to worry about our overstretched military, and falling behind in technology, military and civiliann.
so this is making america “great again” starting yet another war to kill off another generation? when will the sheeple wake up and dismantle the district of criminals?
Actually, Russia hasn’t cut its defense budget by 20% – that was a misreading of some money movement related to projects that weren’t completed. However, Russia IS cutting its defense spending by a lesser amount over the next few years – mostly because they’ve pretty much achieved what they wanted to achieve. The rest will be finished over the next few years with a lesser budget.
Russia has no need for a navy in the Atlantic other than some submarines. A few subs with second-strike capability are all they need to keep the US spending useless billions on an Atlantic Fleet. Win-win for the Russians – and the US military-industrial complex.